Job 7 17

Job 7:17 kjv

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

Job 7:17 nkjv

"What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him,

Job 7:17 niv

"What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention,

Job 7:17 esv

What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,

Job 7:17 nlt

"What are people, that you should make so much of us,
that you should think of us so often?

Job 7 verses

Job 7 17 Meaning

Job 7:17, spoken by Job in his intense suffering, expresses a profound and distressed questioning of God's relentless attention towards fragile humanity, and particularly towards himself. It is a lament, questioning why the Almighty God would so intently magnify and focus His heart on a creature as transient and insignificant as man, especially when that focus brings immense suffering rather than blessing. For Job, God's attentiveness feels less like loving care and more like oppressive scrutiny or an unceasing, burdensome surveillance.

Job 7 17 Context

Job chapter 7 forms part of Job's profound and desperate lament following his immense suffering, a direct response to Bildad's accusatory speech in chapter 8 (though it immediately follows Eliphaz's speech in ch 5). Having lost his children, health, and wealth, Job is at the depth of despair. He longs for the release of death (vv. 1-6) and cries out against God, who he perceives as an unrelenting adversary. He sees himself as a mere vapor, swiftly fading (vv. 7-10), yet paradoxically, he feels constantly under God's oppressive scrutiny. Verse 17 articulates Job's bewilderment: given man's insignificance and frailty, why would a mighty God spend so much effort in scrutinizing him, particularly with what feels like disciplinary attention, rather than simply letting him perish and find rest? He is deeply burdened by God's constant "visitation" that brings him pain.

Job 7 17 Word Analysis

• What (מָה, mah): This is a rhetorical interjection, expressing deep bewilderment, protest, and irony, rather than a genuine search for information. It highlights Job's incomprehension of God's ways in his situation.
• is man (אֱנוֹשׁ, 'enosh): This specific Hebrew term for "man" emphasizes human frailty, mortality, and weakness. Unlike 'adam, which can refer to humanity in general or a robust male, 'enosh underscores vulnerability and susceptibility to disease or death. Job highlights man's complete insignificance in contrast to the omnipotent God, thereby intensifying his question about God's relentless focus.
• that you magnify him (כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ, ki t'gadd'lennu): The verb gadal means "to make great," "to magnify," "to elevate." In other contexts (like Ps 8:5), this implies glorification. However, in Job's context, it carries a bitter, ironic tone. God's "magnifying" Job does not refer to exalting him in honor, but rather to an undesired magnification of his suffering, an intensification of the divine scrutiny, or making Job's trivial existence a significant object of divine attention (and thus, pain).
• and that you are mindful of him / and that you set your heart on him (וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּֽךָ, vechi-tashit elav libbeka): This phrase, literally "and that You set your heart upon him," from the root shith (to set, place) and lev (heart), indicates a very deep, intense, and deliberate focus or attention. Unlike the benevolent care suggested elsewhere (e.g., God remembering a covenant), Job perceives this attentiveness as a burdensome, scrutinizing, and relentless surveillance leading to affliction, almost as if God has nothing better to do than to afflict Job.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "What is man": This phrase encapsulates Job's fundamental perplexity concerning humanity's fleeting and fragile existence in the face of an immensely powerful and eternal God. It lays the groundwork for the ironic tension in the following clauses.
  • "that you magnify him, and that you are mindful of him": These two parallel expressions of God's action together convey the oppressive weight of divine attention from Job's perspective. It's not a question of wonder, but of protest: Why bother to single out and so intently focus on such an inconsequential being as 'enosh', especially when that focus feels like judgment and not grace?

Job 7 17 Bonus Section

• Contrast with Psalm 8:4: This verse presents a powerful rhetorical parallel to Job 7:17, yet with a starkly contrasting tone and theological outlook. While Job laments, "What is man...that You magnify him, and that You are mindful of him?" with a sense of protest and distress at God's seemingly oppressive attention, Psalm 8:4, "What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?", marvels at God's condescending love and exaltation of humanity, reflecting wonder and praise. This contrast underscores Job's unique experience of suffering and his skewed view of divine attributes through the lens of pain.
• Rhetorical Function: Job's question is not seeking information but expressing profound complaint and irony. It highlights his perceived cosmic unfairness—why is such a grand God preoccupied with afflicting such a minute and fleeting being? It serves as a desperate cry for God to simply stop noticing or interacting with him in this painful manner.

Job 7 17 Commentary

Job 7:17 serves as a poignant illustration of the sufferer's distorted perception of God amidst intense trial. Job, overwhelmed by pain and loss, sees God's majestic attributes—omniscience, power, and attentiveness—as liabilities rather than comforts. For him, God's constant scrutiny ("magnify him," "set Your heart on him") is not a sign of benevolent care, but an unbearable burden. He questions why God would even concern Himself with such a insignificant being as himself, particularly if that divine focus only results in unrelenting affliction and the prolonging of his suffering. This rhetorical question is a direct challenge to the idea that God's constant awareness is always beneficial; for Job, in his agony, it feels like an endless trial. It showcases how suffering can twist a believer's understanding of God's character, prompting a desperate plea for God to simply "let him be" rather than continually "visiting" him with calamity.